The Cleveland Velodrome, opening soon, is a veritable school for cyclists, a place to learn, test and apply a whole range of skills previously off-limits to Northeast Ohio.

Now, in addition to the roads and trails, riders here have an honest-to-goodness track to train and race on, 166 meters (one-tenth of a mile) of pure, steeply banked heaven, where big legs, bigger lungs and nerves of steel all will come in handy.

When I first hopped on the track the other day, riding one of several specially designed bikes available for rent at the facility, I couldn't see how I was possibly going to survive my first turn. So steep are the curves -- 50 degrees in spots -- I was sure I'd tip over and come tumbling down.

But I made it, and then made it and made it again. Centrifugal force soon became a trustworthy friend as I whipped around the oval at speeds well over 20 miles per hour, forcing myself to keep an eye on where I was going, not on the ground beneath me.

As surprised as I was to be riding on a track, I was even more stunned to be doing so in Cleveland, where the very idea of a velodrome once seemed fantastical. Now, though, thanks to the vision and hard work of countless volunteers, it's a gorgeous physical reality, a boon to the region perfectly timed to the London Olympics.

When I arrived, workers were still painting the blue, nearly flat rim at the bottom of the track. One day soon, the facility in Cleveland's North Broadway neighborhood could also receive a dome, enabling it to be used year-round. Beyond that, if the long-term plan comes to fruition, the site off East 55th Street would include an athletic field and numerous other amenities.

Courtesy Matt LitzlerWearing a helmet designed for racing, Zachary Lewis speeds around Cleveland's new velodrome, trusting in centrifugal force and reminding himself to keep an eye on the track ahead.

Adding to the fear factor as I went around the track was the nature of the bike itself. For track bikes aren't like the road, mountain or even time-trial bikes I'm used to riding.

First off, they're fixed-gear, meaning there are no gears to switch. The crank stem, the piece that connects the pedal to the bike, is also shorter, to prevent scraping the ground as you climb a bank or lean into a turn.

More daunting, though, is the bike's lack of brakes. To stop, your only options are to mash down hard on the pedals, using the your strength and body weight to physically stop the pedals from turning, or somehow get a foot on the ground. But that can be tricky or impossible if your shoes are strapped tightly into toe-cages or clipped to the pedals.

Still, in my experience, confidence came quickly. Moments after my nervous beginning, I was blissfully blazing around the track, loving the lack of hills and gaining senses of when and how to apply speed, how to hew to the most efficient route, and when to start braking for a smooth descent and stop. My first time down, I very nearly ran out of space and almost ran right back up the track.

Have I mentioned yet what great exercise all this was? I have no idea how many calories I burned or how far I traveled, but I know for sure my heart rate spiked and my legs were in near constant overdrive through bouts of pure anaerobic intensity. It was like every sprint I've ever done, compressed into a single ride.

Not that it needed to be so furious. Plenty of track cycling events require aerobic endurance, as competitors seek to sustain a pace over a certain number of laps or a given distance.

Just my thing, in other words. I don't know if I have what it takes to be a track racer, but I've definitely got the drive to be a track rider. Now, happily, the rest of Northeast Ohio and I also have the means.

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